Intersection Update: Utility work delays project at U.S. 29 / Hal Jones Road
By SARAH FAY CAMPBELL
sarah@newnan.com
The intersection improvement project at Hal Jones Road and U.S. 29 north of Newnan is expected to be completed in July or August — three to four months behind schedule.
The project, which includes turning lanes on both U.S. 29 and Hal Jones, as well as curb work at the gas stations at the intersection, was originally scheduled to be finished in April.
Some utility work remains.
Crews from the contractor, E.R. Snell, are “working around AT&T at this point and will continue to do so until AT&T is complete,” said Wayne Kennedy, Coweta’s director of development and engineering.
Crews are currently about 75 percent done with the major storm drain work, according to Kennedy.
A cross-drain pipe was replaced under Hal Jones, and there is another pipe that was bored under U.S. 29. A third pipe, also under 29, still has to be put in place near the fire station.
“The next step is to install curb and gutter,” Kennedy said.
The Hal Jones intersection improvement and the relocation of Greentop Road, which was completed last year, are part of the same project. The contract for the entire project, $1,326,543, was awarded in March 2011.
The Greentop relocation was completed in June 2011.
At that time, Kennedy said that “it will be some time” before the construction on the Hal Jones improvements could begin, because of the utility relocations. “AT&T indicated in the pre-construction meeting that their work would take several months,” Kennedy said in June.
In November, the commissioners voted to grant E.R. Snell a time extension of 180 days on the contract, because of the utility relocation delays.
The commissioners also voted to “eliminate liquidated damages from the contract allowing E.R. Snell to complete portions of work around the utility work,” according to meeting minutes.
Utility relocation got started last summer, and by late August, the Coweta County Water and Sewerage Authority had completed its work.
Georgia Power crews were busily working at that time, as were crews from Atlanta Gas Light.
The water authority’s contractor had to go back out recently to re-move the water main.
“The contractor did not put it in the correct position, basically,” said Rusty Russell of the water authority. The contractor was responsible for the cost of fixing the problem.
There will be no traffic signal at the Hal Jones and U.S. 29 intersection, as the Georgia Department of Transportation has determined a signal is not “warranted.”
However, enough right-of-way was purchased so that a signal can be installed once GODT gives the go-ahead.
